Pipe and support



Sept. 29, 1959 H. M. ATKINS 2,906,271

PIPE AND SUPPORT Filed Feb. 11. 1958 INVENTOR.

' 1 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1959 United States Patent Ofii ce 2,906,271 PIPE AND SUPPORT Henry M. Atkins, Hartford, Conn. Application February 11, 1958, Serial No. 714,519

' 1 3 Claims. Cl. 131-186) This invention relates to improvements-in smokers pipes and more particularly to a new and improved pipe construction with means formed integrally therewith for supporting a pipe in an upright, sloping position when not being smoked.

In most cases,

a pipe bowl with a flat portion in which case the pipe will remain upright when placed on a level surface, but

even then, fluid tobacco juices will have a tendency to drain through the stem onto such surface, thereby staining or disfiguring it.

It has previously been proposed to support a pipe when not in use by means of an attachment or an accessory in the form of a clip or band which encircles and frictionally engages the stem, the clip or band being provided with suitable supporting members generally in the form of downwardly depending legs. It is, however, a nuisance to carry about such an accessory not to mention fitting it in place and removing it if the smoker wishes to put down his pipe only for an instant.

With the foregoing in mind, my invention relates to smoking pipes in which new and improved supporting means are formed integrally with the pipe itself.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved pipe supporting means of the character mentioned, which when not in use, is hardly visible to the naked eye. Thus, 7

according to my invention, the supporting means does not impair the appearance of the pipe and may, in fact, enhance the artistic design.

A feature of the invention which contributes to the accomplishment of the foregoing object consists in locating the supporting means within the normal confines of the pipe stem and in mounting them in such a manner that they may be released to drop by gravity from a concealed, recessed position downwardly to an operative or pipe supporting position.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision within easy reach of the index finger of the smoker of a very small operating member which may readily be actuated to permit pivoted supporting members to fall, by gravity, from recesses located on the underneath side of the stem into an operative pipe supporting position.

Still another feature resides in the provision of an improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby the supporting members are locked in their recesses and held there against accidental displacement when not in use.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a pipe constructed in accordance with the present invention, the pipe supporting means being shown in dotted lines; Figure 2 is an exploded view, in perspective, of parts of the pipe specially constructed in conformity with the invention;

Figure 3 is a detailed View, in section, taken along the line3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a detailed view, also in section, taken along the line 44 of Figure 3. i

' As shown in Figure 1, the pipe construction comprises generally, a bowl 10, a stem 12, a mouth piece 13 and a ferrule 14 which slides over and conceals a pipe supporting mechanism of the type shown in Figure 2. A button or'release member 16 is shown as being positioned atop the ferrule 14 although it will be appreciated that this element may be conveniently located at other positions such as on the side of or even beneath the ferrule; The purpose of the button 16 is to release pivoted leg members 18 and 20 to permit the latter to drop by gravity into a pipe supporting position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The specially designed and constructed pipe supporting mechanism of my invention, as shown more fully in Figures 2 through 14, comprises a tubular member 22 (Figures 2 and3) provided with an enlarged bore 24 to'receive a cylindrical extension formed on the mouthpiece 13. A similar cylindrical extension 26 is formed in-tegrallywith the tubular member 22 and is adapted to engage frictionally within a correspondingly recessed opening extending into the stem 12 in a conventional manner, The supporting legs 18 and 20 are pivotally connected to the forward extremities of grooves or recesses 28, 30 formed in the body of the tubular member 22 and are held in pivotal position by means of pins 32, 34 which extend through holes 36, 38 formed in the tubular member 22 and corresponding openings 40 located in the ends of the leg members 18, 20.

e The tubular member 22 is made of aluminum or some similar light weight material such as plastic in order to balance the pipe properly and not add unduly to its weight. The supporting legs 18, 20 are, on the other hand, made of aheavier material, such as steel, to encourage them to drop, pivotally, into supporting position the instant they are released.

To told the supporting legs 18, 20 in a retracted, in-

operative position, the tubular assembly 22 is provided with .a slide member which is made up of a latch ring 42, a projection 44 which carries the button 16 and a tension spring 46. As illustrated in Figure 4 the ring 42 is provided with a central opening 48 and as shown in Figure 2 the ring is mounted for limited sliding movement on a cylindrical hub 50 formed on the tubular body 22. Movement of the slide, by means of the smokers finger on the release button 16, is confined to the width of the hub 50 which separates the end of the tubular member 22 from the end of the pipe stem 12. Ordinarily the ring 42 of the slide is held in retractedposition by means of the spring 46 which is connected at one end to the projection 44 and at the opposite end to a pin located at the end of a groove or channel in which the spring 46 and theprojection 44 are disposed.

When the supporting legs 18, 20 are retracted into their grooves or recesses 28, 30, the ring, by means of the spring 46, engages the forwardly projecting shoulder portions 52, 54 of such legs (Figures 3 and 4) thereby' causing the latter to remain in an inoperative position. It is only when the release member 16 is moved to the left, .away from the tubular member 22 that the extremities 52, 54- of the leg members 18,20 are disengaged, leaving the latter free to drop to an operative, pipe supporting position. As stated earlier, when the legs are down and the pipe is temporarily laid on a table or some other fiat supporting surface, the parts are so balanced that the pipe is supported in a sloping position with the bowl engaging the surface and the mouthpiece 13 extending upwardly. In this position the fluid juices of the tobacco drain back into the bowl of the pipe.

To cover attractively the mechanism that has been described above the ferrule or band 14 is made of'sliver or some other attractive material. An opening 60', formed in the ferrule is adapted to receive the push but ton 16 of the slide mechanism and slots 62 and 64 are adapted to. register with the grooves or recesses 28 and 30 in which the supporting legs are pivotally mounted. In assembling the partsshown in the drawings, the tubular assembly22 is then placed in the ferrule. Themouthpiece 13 is next attached to one end of the central assembly and the bowl and stem are secured to the opposite end. With the leg members up or retracted only the button 16 is visible and thus the design and appearance of the pipe have not been substantially altered although a highly useful improvement has been incorporated in the structure. Upon pressure being applied to the button 16 to cause the latch ring 42 to release. the legs the latter drop instantly into supporting position where they remain until the smoker returns them, with his index finger, to the retracted position, or by pressing downwardly on the pipe the resistance of the spring is overcome causing the ring, by cam action, to snap the legs into their retracted, out of use, position.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the structure and appearance of the parts illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent'of the United States is:

1. A tobacco pipe of the character described comprising, in combination, a body having a central bore extending from a mouthpiece to a tobacco bowl, said body having a longitudinally extending recess offset from the axis of said bore, a pipe supporting member pivotally mounted within said recess so as to be substantially within said body when retracted, and means extending from within said body to the exterior thereof for releasing said pipe supporting member.

2. A tobacco pipe of the character described comprising, in 'combinatiom-a body having-a central bore extending from a mouthpiece to a tobacco bowl, said body having a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses offset fromthe axis of said bore, pipe supporting members pivotally mounted within said recesses so as to be substantially within said body when retracted, means for holding said supporting members in a retracted position, and means for releasing said members to enable them to move to an extended, pipe supporting position.

' 3. A support for a tobacco pipe, comprising in combination, a pipe stem having a plurality of elongated recesses formed in the outer wall thereof, supporting -members pivotally mounted within said recesses and .members in a retracted position within said recesses when said members are not in use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Morter Aug. 1, 1911 Storner June 27, 1950 

